Revoluble retort.



I W. THDMAS. REVOLUBLE RETORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, I915.

Patented 00. 17, 1911;.

other valuable products.

WALTEE QHIGHAS, i033 El'fiilllfilhi l), BEITISH QQL'UHIBIA, .QdiIdZADA.

- nnvonnnnn lessons.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 17, 1916.

Aphliczition nee J1me e, 1915. seriail lilo. genes.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, lVAL'rnn TnoMAs, a subject of the King; of GreatBritain, residing at Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, have inventedcertain new and useful lmprovements in Revoluble Retorts, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to e. revoluble gas fired retort for distillingcoal, generating illuminating gas, producing cokeand other valuableproducts.

The principal object of my invention. is to provide for more rapidly anduniformly carbonizing coal at a lower temperature than is possible withthe methods and apparatus now generally in use in the manufactureof gas,whereby destructive decomposition of the valuable volatile ill-uminantswill be avoide :lresulting in increased yield of gas-and wherebyinferior grades of coal, or practically Waste coal of the dumps, can

' be economically and profitably distilled for production of gas,benzol.

motor spirits and Another object of my invention is to provide arevoluble retort which can be uniformly heated while in motion bynumerous gas flames-discharging at different points into passagesthroughout its length and circumference,including means for feeding fuelgas to a plurality of Bunsen burners, in the length of a passage orflue, means for conducting oil illuminating gas generat-ed, means forcontinuously or periodically feeding coal to the revoluble retort, andmeans fordischarging the resulting coke as required; and certain detailsof construction, as will appear in the following description andembodied in the claims.

The matter constituting my invention Will be defined in the claims.

I will now describe the details of construction by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure '1 represents a longitudinalvertical section of a l'BVUlllblG retort and its connections for feedingcoal and discharging coke, and operating gearing in elevation. Fig. 2represents a transverse section on line 2-3, Fig. .1, looking to theright,

Fig. 13 represents a transverse section in line 23-53, Fig. 1, lookingtoward the left hand end of the retort. Fig. l represents a sec tionuldiagrammatic view of a stationary retort, illustrating the slowdistillation of coal,

in a quiet state. Fig. 1 represents gearing of modified construction.

I-leretofore, in the manufacture of minating gas, the coal has beensubjected to distillation-in an inert body or quiet state, in stationaryretorts-either of the horizontal, inclined or vertical variety-requiringthe application of very high heats,- 2,000 to 2,500 E during anexcessively long period er time, ranging from four hours to twenty fourhours. The coal lying in an inert mass, Fig. 4, Will be heated throughfrom the surface to the center'- very slowly,

details of illuand after the volatile matter is evolved from,

or near, the outer surface a comparatively longtime is required for theheat to penetrate the mass to the center, and in order to hasten the'oper ion excessively high heats or temperatures we applied, with theresult.

that much of the valuable volatile hydro carbon illun'unants aredestructively decom-.

posed, causing carbon to be. deposited as lamp black, while only lowgrade marsh gas is passed 05 to the hydraulic main.. In

Til

the presentmethod also the body of coal is 'heatedquite' unequally a1different stages, being at first coi'nparatively cool, and there- 1fore'giving oil a large per cent. of unfixed vapors, and toward the endof carbonlzation being too highly heated and causing,

the"valuable illuminating gases to be .destructively decomposed, withthe production of lamp black and poor gases. By my method of distillingor-earbonizing coal in a rcvoluhleretort, heated by'a plurality of gasflames discharging at different points into each of a series of flues, auniform temperature is maintained and all the particles of carbon in thebody are constantly being shifted and exposed to the heated surfaces ofthe retort, resulting in a more uniform quality and a higher candlepower gas; The

temperature can be accurately regulated and the whole operation can beconducted at a lower temperature and in a shorter time than by themethods now generally in use. 1' also save much of the expense-involvedin.

the construction of fire clay benches and retorts and much of theexpense 'forslrilled' labor. 1 nm also enabled towutilize greatquantities of low grade fuel-at-a profit,

which is impossible withfthepresent apparatus.

. "The revolulole retort A is constructed of a sheet or plate-iron shell(1* and afire-brick a, composed of special lire-brick havlet ports a.The shell and lining are provided with longitudinal lines of openings o"for the Bunsen burners N arranged to discharge at numerous points intothe passages or fines a At the discharge end of the retort there isriveted to the shell a turned iron annular casting a, which protects thefire brick lining and forms part of a. stalling-box Z)" in which the endof the retort turns The other part of the stalling box is secured to thewall of the stationary discharge head or chamber F. At the inlet or feedend the retort is closed by a head B, having a central extended neck 13for feeding coal, said neck being connected to a stationary feeding ductB by a stalling-box Z) in which it turns. vided with a series of radialgas inlet ducts b which also extend along the neck B to an annular inletgroove 0 in the fixed collar C which is provided, at each end with astufing box 0''. A fuel-gas supply pipe C connects with the collar atits groove 0. With the ducts 7) connect the longitudinal gas pipes Cwhichconnect with the Bunsen burners N. The outer endot the coal duct Bis closed by a stuliing box 32", through which is passed the shaft '10of screw-conveyer W. A stand E, supports the coal duct B and magazine Yand part of the operating gearing for the conveyor,

The discharge head or chamber F and coke chamber G are supported on anangular base piece H over a conduit 01: for a coke car I. To the top ofchamber F is socured a gas take-ed pipe 7 whichmay connect with ahydraulic main or seal-box in a well known. manner. but not here shown.Thechamber has bolted to it a removable cover-plate F. To the lower endof the chamber is secured a valve casing f, in which works a slidinggatevalve 7, having a screw-threaded stein 7 working through a threadedopening 72, in a supporting frame H. A coke chamber G is secured to theeasing f and has secured to its lower end a valve casing 9 containinggate valve 9" provided with a screw-thrcaded stem 9 working through athreaded opening it. The valve stems are provided with hand wheels j.The chamber G, with its upper and lower valves, provides an air and gastight discharge for hot coke from chamber F and the retort.

The retort is supported by bearing wheels on rollers. Pillars K, havinghearings in carry rollers in which rest by their journals in thebearings, and the pillars are fixed on concrete foundations X. Thebearing wheels L. are secured by their annular The head B is alsoprohaving regulating valves 92 are secured to the shell a at theopenings a for discharging numerous flames into the ducts or lines a.Numerous burners are used for maintaining a uniform and moderatetemperature throughout the length and circumference of the retort, andso as not to cause cracking and breaking of the. fire-brick 11ning byexcessive heat at any one point. The gas will be supplied under pressureand take in air at the Bunsenburners. The gas outlet ports a open intostack Z, which, at its lower end encircles the retort and will besupported in a well known manner.

A worm wheel 0 is bolted by its flanges to the shell (1- and engageswith a toothed wheel P, Fig. 1, 7) having on its shaft a beveled piniong1 meshing with a beveled pinion 0 on the vertical shaft 0, resting atits lower end in a bearing in a post 0'. A beveled gear wheel m on shaft0 meshes with a beveled pinion 7" on the driving shaft R which rests inbearings on posts a and carries a belt wheel t. A clutch r is connectedin shaft R. A second shaft R supported in bearings on postsa is providedfor carrying a sprocket wheel 9 and has a clutch s for connecting itwith, and disconnecting it from, the driving shaft. A motor T has on itsshaft a small belt wheel 7i whichconnects by a. belt 6 with a large beltwheel U on a shaft 21 which carries a second and smaller belt wheel a. Abelt S is passed over the wheels 3 and u for turning the power shaft It.v

The "shaft '11) of conveyor W passes out through a stufling: box Z)" andturns in a bearing o on frame E. To shaft w is secured a large sprocketwheel 9 over which is passed a sprocket chain Q, engaging also withwheel 9 on shaft R The coal magazine Y is secured to the fixed feedingduct section 18 supported by frame E, and has at the top a hopper 1 anda slide valve 1 the stem of which is connected to a hand lever y.

The operating gearing is located as shown, simply for convenience ofillustration, and in practice will be located in any convenient positionwith relation to the retort. v

My revoluble retort will, in practice, be made about one hundred feetlong in order to give the coal a sufficiently long exposure to the heatat a moderate temperature of about 900 F. Numerous Bunsen burnersopening into the combustion passages or fines o are, therefore, requiredin order to insure a uniform temperature throughout the length of theretort. This is also important in order to preserve the fire brick lli'cientlycooled will be discharged into car 1 by opening valve 9, afterhaving closed valve 7. The feeding of coal may be stopped by shiftingthe clutch s to disconnect the shaft R from the power shaft R. Thegearing which operates the retort may also'be stopped by properlyoperating the clutch r.

A worm I" engaging 'With the large worm wheel 0 on the retort, andbeveled pinions 0, p and vertical shaft 0 are shown in Fig. 1. Thisstyle of gearing may be used instead of the spur wheel P and itsconnections shown in Fig. 1.

Having described my invention, What 1 claim, anddesire to secure byLetters Patent, 18-.-

' 1. A revoluble retort having in its Walls aseries of longitudinalcombustion passages provided at one end with outlet ports, a series oflongitudinal gas supply pipes e:-:- tending along the retort, aplurality of Bunsen burners connecting with said supply pipes andopeningat dilferent'points into each passage for uniformly and evenly heatingthe retort, means for supplying gas to the burners, means for feedingcoal at one end of the retort and a gas chamber and take-oil pipe at theother end of the retort.

The combination with a .revoluble retort having in its valls a series ofcombustion fines and outlet ports therefrom, and a plurality of burnersopening at different points into each flue, also having a central, coalfeeding neck, of a fuel magazine connecting with said neck, a conveyorin the neck, a fixed collar on the neck and having an annular groove,the neck turning in the collar, a gas inlet pipeconnecting with thecollar at the groove, gas supply pipes or ducts in the retort headconnectingwith said groove and with the burners along the outside of theretort, and means for conducting oil the evolved gas from the retort.

3. The combination with a revoluble retort having in its walls a seriesof combustion flues and outlet ports therefrom, and a plurality ofburners provided with regulating valves and opening at different pointsinto each. fine, also having a central feeding neck, of a fuel magazineconnecting with the neck, a con veyer in the neck, a fixed collar on.the neck and having an. annular groove, a gas inlet pipe connecting/Withthe collar at the groove, gas supply/pipes or ducts connecting with saidgIOOVIHIICl with the burners along the retort, a gas chamber at thedischarge end of the retort and connecting therewith by an annularstuiling box, and a tight coke chamber connecting by a valved openingwith the gas chamber.

In testimony whereof I aliix my'signature in presence of two witnesses.

A. E. PLANTA, A. V. Horn.

